Punchestown racecourse today announced a new sponsorship agreement that will see Ireland’s premier National Hunt Flat race run under the new title- The Race and Stay at Punchestown Champion Bumper.

This new multi-year sponsorship deal will kick off on day two of the 2022 Punchestown Festival, Wednesday 27th April.

Teaming up with Race and Stay, an Irish horse racing tour company, provides Punchestown guests with an all-inclusive hotel, ticket and transport package solution arranged by experts.

The Grade 1 Race and Stay at Punchestown Champion Bumper is worth €100,000 and Willie Mullins has landed eight of the last 10 renewals bringing his tally to a total of ten wins.

The 2021 Race and Stay at Punchestown Champion bumper winner Kilcruit provided Derek O’Connor with his first victory in the race. After the win, O’Connor sid: “That's the most prestigious race. The Punchestown Champion Bumper is the race that every amateur wants to win. It has taken me a long time but was great to finally do it,”

Race and Stay, CEO Martyn Pipe welcomed the announcement: “We are delighted to be sponsoring The Champion Bumper, one of the seasons most prestigious races. The Punchestown Festival is a truly unique and exciting event and one that our guests love going to, making this partnership the perfect fit for us.

"We have brought many guests to Punchestown in the past and with demand for memorable horse racing experiences at an all-time high we are looking forward to bringing many more to the festival and other Punchestown meetings this year and hopefully long into the future.

"Our unique service offers racing fans bespoke and exclusive Irish Racing experiences that can be tailored to perfectly suit a group size or budget, and, like Punchestown, we look forward to welcoming guests back for a great racing break to what promises to be a fabulous and memorable festival this year.”

Conor O’Neill, Punchestown CEO, added: “People make Punchestown. We say it time and time again. Our main aim is to make the Punchestown visitor experience as enjoyable and hassle free as possible. We welcome a huge number of guests from throughout Ireland, the UK and beyond. To team up with Race and Stay means we can now provide an all-inclusive package solution for our customers so they can book, race, stay and return year after year”.

The 2022 Punchestown Festival takes place from Tuesday 26th to Saturday 30th April 2022. As preparations continue ahead of the return of racegoers, the early bird festival ticket promotion continues and is now at 10% discount.